Several top executives from leading trade unions have called on the federal government to abandon its plan to scrap the full pension offered after 45 years of contributions.
Frank Werneke, the CEO of Verdi, told the “Bild am Sonntag”, that it was heartening to see that more and more state premiers recognize the proposed pension commission’s plan to abolish the full pension after 45 insurance years is incorrect. He argued that eliminating the pension for those with long service disregards the life contributions of affected individuals, emphasizing that this pension scheme must be maintained.
Christiane Benner, the national chairwoman of IG Metall, stated that the no-penalty pension after 45 contributing years is fair and justified. She urged those who doubted this to visit industrial sites, such as a foundry, shipyard, or factory floor, to truly understand the situation.
Anja Piel, a member of the DGB board, told the newspaper that people who started their careers early and worked for nearly half a century should not be treated like “a squeeze of a lemon” at the end of their working lives; rather, they are entitled to a good pension without deductions.
Robert Feiger, president of the Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt industrial union, added that anyone who worked hard for 45 years and paid their contributions has earned the right to retire without cuts-a matter that should not be negotiated. He warned that eliminating this regulation would effectively force millions of workers in physically demanding jobs to continue working until they collapse. He stressed that it is unacceptable for the very workers who built, supplied, and maintained the country to bear the costs. For Feiger, cutting the rule on pensions after 45 contributory years is undermining social cohesion.
